1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system assembly, and more particularly to assembly of a motherboard in an information handling system.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling system manufacturers attempt to build powerful information handling systems that have small footprints. Components are carefully arranged within a chassis to function properly given cooling, electromagnetic interference (“EMI”) and other constraints while taking up a minimal amount of room. Typically, assembly of information handling system components involves manually securing a motherboard within a chassis by hand and then interfacing the components with each other through the motherboard. For instance, a central processing unit (“CPU”) is inserted into a motherboard socket to perform information processing, memory modules are inserted into memory connectors and peripheral devices are interfaced through mating connectors or daughterboard card connector slots. The electronic components are typically shielded to eliminate or reduce EMI by compressing an EMI shield into the chassis during installation of the motherboard.
One difficulty with the assembly of a motherboard into an information handling system chassis is that a restricted amount of room is available for installation of the motherboard. This restricted amount of room makes it difficult to maneuver motherboards into position by hand placement of the motherboard in the chassis. The installation of a motherboard in a small available space increases the risk of damage to the motherboard by the assembler during hand assembly, either due to physical damage to the motherboard by the assembler's hands or by hitting the motherboard against the chassis. Further, the restricted space for assembly makes it difficult for an assembler to secure the motherboard to the chassis, such as by attaching the motherboard to the chassis with screws tightened by a screwdriver. For instance, a screwdriver may damage a motherboard during assembly by slipping off of the screw and hitting the motherboard surface leading to system failure during testing. In addition, motherboards are sensitive to damage caused by static charge introduced either by human touch or by the touch of assembly tools.